Watford remain in the hunt for automatic promotion, at least until the result of Hull City's match at Barnsley is known on Saturday, but while a win for the Tigers at Oakwell will render this result an irrelevance as far as the Hornets are concerned, it may spell the end for the Leicester manager, Nigel Pearson. Defeat means the Foxes' chances of making the play-offs, which were the least of the club's Thai owners' expectations at the start of the season, are now very slim.

"It's been another frustrating night," said Pearson, after Harry Kane's header proved an insufficient response to a close-range Troy Deeney volley and a 30-yard screamer by Nathaniel Chalobah.

"Conceding two goals in quick succession psychologically knocked us for six, because up to that point we'd been very much in the ascendancy, but that's been the story of the last couple of months."

Such has been the unpredictability of the Championship, Gianfranco Zola said he believed automatic promotion will be decided on the final day of the season.

"This is a Championship in which nothing is certain," said the Watford manager.

"We put on a remarkable performance in the first half and we did everything we could to put the pressure on Hull. I know this team can play and score goals, but we also showed resilience and a determination to win. Even if we go to the play-offs, we know we are in a good moment."

Attention now turns to South Yorkshire, and what is likely to be as tense a game as has been played in the Championship this season. Barnsley are fighting for their lives, and Hull's form in recent weeks has been not so much poor as wretched, but their fate is in their hands and if Steve Bruce can drag one more performance out of his players it will be enough.

Otherwise they may find they need to beat champions Cardiff at the KC Stadium on the final day of the season, because on this form Watford will be strong favourites to win their last match, at home to Leeds United.

The contrast in styles, as is usually the case in matches involving the Hornets, was marked. Watford were neat and inventive, but City, with Lloyd Dyer and Anthony Knockaert switching wings at will, were creating opportunities themselves, and when Matty James swung over a corner won by Knockaert, Wes Morgan's header was only a foot over the bar.

As the half progressed Almen Abdi's runs from midfield were causing Leicester increasing problems, and another break saw him test City's goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel, forcing him to concede a corner.

The ball was swung over from the left, headed back across goal by Joel Ekstrand, and from close range Deeney swept a volley past Schmeichel.

Moments later Watford were two to the good. Their goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia cleared long, and Abdi's pass set up Chalobah well outside the penalty area. The Chelsea loanee arrowed his shot into the top corner, with Schmeichel a spectator.

It was almost three in as not many more minutes when Jonathan Hogg's shot was kicked off his own line by City defender Ritchie De Laet.

Pearson reacted by bringing on the experienced David Nugent for Jeff Schlupp up front for the second half, and it almost paid immediate dividends when Nugent volleyed just wide.

It was, however, Pearson's second substitution which brought his side back into the game. Watford looked to the linesman when Konchesky's cross was headed in from close range by Kane, but replays confirmed the on-loan Spurs striker had timed his run perfectly.

Now it was all Leicester and shortly after coming on, Pearson's third substitute, Ben Marshall, looked certain to equalise when the ball arrived at his feet in the Watford penalty area, only for Almunia to fling himself to his left to save.

With their season effectively on the line, even City's defenders were driving forward, while Watford looked to slow the game down as much as possible. As time ticked away, however, Leicester's frustration grew, and they began to resort to hoofing the ball towards the visitors' penalty area. Given the number of big men in their side this wasn't the most hopeless of tactics, but there was more than a whiff of desperation about it and the excellent Ekstrand remained in control.